


just put those colors on

by Meridas



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderfluid Character, Healing, Introspection, Mollymauk Lives Fest, Other, Tattoos, post-resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 14:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15865134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meridas/pseuds/Meridas
Summary: Molly's newest tattoo is healing quite nicely. Caleb doesn't have that kind of magic, but he's helping anyway.





	just put those colors on

“It’s healing quite nicely.”

Molly smiles as Caleb finishes removing the bandage over their chest. The wizard has an adorable furrow in his brow, his fingers hovering in the air just over the stark lines and vibrant colors of Molly’s new tattoo. Not touching, just memorizing the design in the same way he pores over spell diagrams.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore?” he asks quietly.

Molly shakes their head and leans in to give Caleb a quick kiss. “Bit like a sunburn,” they say, “but even that’s fading.” They pick up the jar of lotion sitting beside them and unscrew the top. “It’s mostly just itchy, now.”

Caleb takes the jar out of their grasp before they can start to apply it. Molly lets him, sits there quietly and watches Caleb’s fingers smooth the silky, scentless lotion across their colorful skin.

He’s not just asking about the tattoo and they both know it. Caleb’s fingers are incredibly gentle across the stylized body of the phoenix, deep reds and bright yellows and stark black lines that cover up their most recent scar. For the most part, Molly doesn’t mind their scars, all the little ones that come from their own blades, even the ones from before this was their body. Some of them look quite pretty, in fact, thin lilac lines crisscrossing lavender skin. They like the feeling of Caleb’s fingers tracing over them, love it when they settle down after a battle and Caleb seeks out each new scar to place a kiss on it.

They take a deep breath, deep enough to feel the stretch of taut skin across the front of their torso, enough to press just a little more firmly into Caleb’s hand. This scar was different, but it’s _theirs_ now. It’s beauty on their skin and new life in their lungs, fiery wings spreading wide across their ribs.

They won’t let Jester use any spells to speed up the tattoo’s healing process. They want to feel it every day as the stinging lessens and the itching becomes fierce and then fades away. They _like_ this feeling. Jester doesn’t understand it, but it feels like its own kind of healing to Molly.

Plus, it’s an excuse for Caleb to dote on them in this little way. Molly knows that Caleb feels like he needs a reason, some plausible deniability, that he won’t let himself come and touch Molly and hug them and kiss them just because he wants to. They’re working on it, but in the meantime Molly loves having this excuse to bring Caleb in closer.

He’s finished with the lotion, brushing his fingers delicately over the very tips of the wings on Molly’s ribs. He picks up the prepared square bandage and tape, even though Molly wrinkles their nose. Just another day or two and they can leave the bandage off, let everyone see the fierce colors splashed across their skin that say they’re _alive_ , they made it _back_.

Caleb smooths the edges of the tape down, hands gentle and precise. Just like every time before, he finishes the ritual with a kiss to the center of Molly’s chest, just above the white bandage.

“All done,” he murmurs, but he doesn’t go far. He leaves his hands resting against Molly’s ribs, settling his head in the crook of Molly’s shoulder. Molly pulls him closer, careful to keep a little distance between Caleb’s chest and their own sensitive one.

“Thank you,” Molly says, just like every time. Caleb turns his head slightly and presses his lips to the vibrant peacock feathers on Molly’s neck. Soon he’ll be able to press those kisses to Molly’s new tattoo, show the rising phoenix the same appreciation he shows to the rest of the wonderful color on their skin.

Until then, Molly leans their cheek against Caleb’s hair and closes their eyes peacefully.

They’re getting there. It’s been a long road, and they’ve left a lot of broken pieces scattered behind them, but they’re healing together. They’ll be okay.  


**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank-you to steelneena for the beta and to Effy for encouragement! Also a massive thank-you to Mollymauk Lives Fest on tumblr for organizing this wonderful event.
> 
> Title of this fic comes from Kesha's song 'Rainbow,' which I highly recommend. It's a very Molly song.


End file.
